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Welcome to the Town of Ellington

How to Dispose of...

  • Fire Extinguisher:  The Town Drop-off Recycling Center located at the Public Works Facility at 21 Main Street will accept fire extinguishers, waste oil, antifreeze and propane tanks (5 and/or 20 lbs.)  Please consult Public Works to see days and hours of operation.
  • LP Gas Tank or Cylinder:  The Town Drop-off Recycling Center located at the Public Works Facility at 21 Main Street will accept fire extinguishers, waste oil, antifreeze and propane tanks (5 and/or 20 lbs.) Please consult Public Works to see days and hours of operation.  
  • Smoke alarm or a Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector:  Most, if not all, manufacturers of smoke alarms (single station smoke detectors) will accept them back for disposal.  Return procedures are ordinarily explained within the packaging literature that comes with the new alarms and should be retained for later referral.  Depending upon the brand, information may also be available upon the company website.
  • Tires and/or Gasoline: The Mid Northeast Recycling Operating Committee (MidNEROC) Drop-off Facility located at 57 Hancock Road, Willington, CT will accept tires and gasoline.  Gasoline should be transported in a metal safety can and in an area of the vehicle outside 
  • Explosives or Fireworks:   Unless stored properly in an explosives magazine approved by the Fire Marshal, immediately notify Central Dispatch at 911 without touching or moving the material.  If stored in an approved magazine, notify the Fire Marshal at (860) 870-3126.
  • Demolition or Construction Debris and/or Wooden Pallets:  Harvest New England at 235 Sadds Mill Road will accept only clean material (no painted or preserved material, no plywood and no pressure treated material).  A fee may be applicable.  It may be best to call and speak with Harvest New England (860) 674-8855.  Otherwise, a dumpster may be appropriate.  Please see next item for pallets alternative.
  • Wooden Pallets: Pallets, if cut into pieces less than four feet in length, will be accepted into the Town's Bulky Pick-up Program if scheduled with All American Waste at (860) 289-7850.  Otherwise, see "wooden pallets" above.
  • Firewood, Tree Trunks and Limbs: The Hoffman Brush Drop-off Area located on Franlee Drive off Hoffman Road will accept these materials.  Please consult Public Works to see days and hours of operation.  
  • Dispose of a building or structure, including one that is dilapidated or in partial collapse: Building demolition is regulated by both the Connecticut Building Code and the Connecticut Fire Prevention Code. The Building Dept. requires a permit and both departments have regulations that must be clarified and then complied with. The Fire Prevention Code addresses such issues as abandonment of a fire suppression system, the use of cutting and welding equipment, hazards attendant to the stockpiling of demolition debris and the need for an on-site fire watch. There will be no authorization for any burning of demolition debris whatsoever. The burning of a structure as a part of specialized fire dept. training evolutions will be considered on a case-by- case basis.
  • Underground Fuel Oil Tank: (dispose of, temporarily remove from service or abandon-in-place):  This subject has always been surrounded by some confusion.  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) regulates some parts of certain projects and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) regulates some parts of all such projects.  The Fire Marshal enforces much of the process through enforcement of the Connecticut State Fire Prevention Code.  DEEP defines an underground Storage Tank (UST) as an underground tank storing heating oil used to heat four residential units or fewer.  DEEP does not regulate the installation, use or removal of these residential heating oil USTs. However, any contamination resulting from these tanks, including the clean-up of such contamination is regulated.  There is no DEEP funding for residential USTs.  Any costs associated with maintenance and eventual removal of residential USTs, including costs for remediation, should be considered when purchasing residential real estate.  Reporting to DEEP of any failure (leakage from any USTs or its piping system) is mandatory.  DEEP does regulate heating oil USTs serving five or more residential units and you should proceed to their website for details.  

    The Building Department will likely require a permit for such activity except that for singe and two-family residential properties and certain "townhouse" type construction, the permit will not be required. The Connecticut State Fire Prevention Code (CSFPC) regulates the installation, use and removal of USTs on all properties, excluding single and two-family residential properties and certain "townhouse" type construction.  Visit the handouts section for detailed specifications regarding removal or abandonment-in-place of USTs.

    DCP requires that a registered Home Improvement Contractor be hired. These contractors must display their registration numbers in all advertising, including advertising on vehicles. A homeowner should check the contractor’s registration with the DCP prior to entering into a contract. DCP also requires that a licensed plumber perform any piping installation or replacement. DEEP recommends that a soil sample be collected from underneath the tank and piping and that it be analyzed for Extractable Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (ETPH) at a Connecticut Certified Laboratory. Most often contractors will collect samples and deliver them to a certified lab for you. Take photos of the tank and the excavation, if possible. Have your contractor generate a brief letter report documenting the details of the tank removal, including ETPH reports from the lab. Keep these documents in a safe place, as homebuyers usually want proof prior to purchasing the house that the tank did not leak or that any leak was cleaned up.

    Owners of single and two-family residential properties and certain “townhouse” type construction engaged in the unregulated activity of removal of USTs are invited to voluntarily create a file at this office as a depository for related documents, photos, etc., so as to have a secure third-party collection of documents for your future access and reference.